A Warning to Poor Exegetes

Origen was a great admirer of allegories. By the strength of his parts and wanton wit, he turned most of the Scriptures into allegories; and by the just judgment of God upon him, he foolishly understood and absurdly applied that Mat. 19:12 literally, ‘Some have made themselves chaste for the kingdom of heaven,’ and sogelded himself. And indeed he might as well have plucked out one of his eyes upon the same account, because Christ saith, ‘It is better to go to heaven with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire,’ Mat. 18:9